


Happier Days

by PhakeFysics



Series: Fallen Hero - Abyss/Anton [14]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Flashback, M/M, Strong Language, pre-heartbreak, simple times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 00:36:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20462144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhakeFysics/pseuds/PhakeFysics





	Happier Days

“So… you and Danny…”

“Have nothing going on between us,” you retort, actually believing every word, thus making it easier to stress the issue.

Ricardo lofts a manicured eyebrow your way, only lifting his cup of coffee to his lips. You don’t deign to explain further and just huff a sigh, glancing at the rest of the patrons in the diner.

“Look… Ricardo,” you start, now with a resigned sigh, looking back towards him. You hate this the most. You couldn’t use Ricardo’s doubts or thoughts against him. He was blank - no… he was void. You had tried picking his brain only to get a whiplash of nausea-induced vertigo as punishment for trying (even though you knew better).

He looks at you with a tire you had never seen lace his features and he looked older than he actually was. 

“Nothing is going on between Danny and I. He’s… become a strangely good… friend, I suppose,” you explain softly, and Ricardo just nods. You could see it in his face, the way he looked at you; ‘I miss us’, his eyes say and you have to look away again. You miss the both of you too...

You want to hate him. You want to tug his heart strings, lull him into a false sense of security min order to crush him later. But memories flood your mind of calm nights at his place, beat up and sore from some fight, watching old Spanish soaps. There was nothing else on at those hours and Ricardo sometimes translated for you.

-  
_Your jacket is tossed onto a chair, your mask if stuffed into your jacket pocket, and your shoes are left at the door. You lean ever so gently into the warmth of his side and his arm slides from the back of the couch, to fit so perfectly around your shoulders. _

_You both stink of sweat and grime. But you’re tired and the take out boxes, half-eaten and left on the coffee table were evidence of Ricardo’s exhaustion, due to the lack of home-cooked meals.The television plays a drama and you’re lulled by the mental silence. You don’t have to build your walls so high around him. _

_“You think Selena will ever leave Manuel for cheating on her with Rosaline?” you mutter, eyes tiredly watching the actors on screen. Spanish was such a beautiful language to you… soft and gentle. You found a peace in listening to it, even though you hadn’t the faintest idea what was being said._

_Ricardo hums, bringing his free hand to shove his unruly curls out of his face. You glance up and admire the way the light of the television danced off his face, highlighting his strong features. It had only been a couple months since he kissed you… but you couldn’t help falling a little more in love with him. You could handle his public antics; snark, sass, teasing. But in soft, dark moments like this, he was gentle, he was romantic. He treated you like you mattered. You were happy…_

_“Manuel doesn’t deserve Selena, plain and simple. I don’t know why she stays and tries to ‘make it work’ when Luis has been there for Selena since day one. She’s clearly too blind to see that she would be much happier with Luis,” Ricardo hmphs at the silly fictional drama._

_“I like Luis…” you mutter, resting your head on Ricardo’s shoulder. _

_He snorts, “Why, because he’s stupid and naive?”_

_“Hmm no… he’s kind to those he loves. His heart is incredibly open. Sure he gives his friends a hard time, but who doesn’t? He’s loyal and one of the few positive forces out of the cast of characters,” you snuggle into Ricardo’s side and tuck your feet under you as he pulls you closer._

_“I suppose… Dunno why you’d like a guy that acts like an idiot most days,” Ricardo muses and glances down at you._

_You chuckle, “Me neither, and yet here I am, dating one,” you respond coolly, taking the larger man by surprise as he looks at you incredulously for a brief moment. _

_“I’ll have you know, I am not an idiot,” he pouts and you just laugh softly, leaning up and pressing your lips chastly against his, “The stipulation was ‘acts’ like an idiot most days. Not ‘is’ an idiot most days.”_

_Ricardo smiles against your kiss, pulling you in for another. _

-  
You look back at Ricardo as his warm hand atop yours pulls your from distant memories that leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. You wash it down with coffee and resist the urge to light up a smoke inside the diner.

“Anton…” he starts carefully, squeezing your hand ever so gently and you can’t stop your body from responding in kind, weaving your fingers in his. A warm flood of comfort and safety washes over you and you fight to shove it away. You miss him so much… And that feeling alone quickly boils away by the fire of anger always simmering inside you. 

You look up at him and he offers a soft smile, “How about dinner and a movie?” He asks slowly, unsurely, like he was trying to coax a scared and wild animal closer yet trying to keep it from biting him or running further from him. 

You sigh softly, weak and vulnerable with your hand in his. You felt stripped away, unable to deny the way those warm brown eyes looked at you. Verdammt…

You smile at Ricardo softly, placing your other hand atop his, sandwiching it between your own, “Alright, why not?” 

And for what felt like the first time in months, Ricardo offered you a smile; warm and happy. 

He missed you.


End file.
